THE TRUE MEANING OF CHESED Second Day Pesach 5779

I.

In four different places, the Torah reminds us that the Jewish people lef Egypt in chodesh ha-aviv, springtime (Ex. 13:4, 23:15, 34:18; Deut. 16:1). While it’s good to know a bit more detail, it seems a tad unnecessary for the Torah to repeatedly underscore when God took us out. Why is it so im- portant for us to know that we lef in the Spring? I came across a beautiful answer to this by Rabbi Chaim Yaakov Goldvicht, the founding rosh yeshiva of the first hesder yeshiva in Israel, Kerem Be-Yavneh, in his sefer Asufot Ma’arachot (Bo, §7) who begins by quoting a gemara in Yevamot (79a) that describes three characteristics that make the Jewish people special. Two of which are chesed and rachmanut, typically translated as “kindness and mercy,” but the English translations obscure the question asked by R. Goldvicht: aren’t these two words usually seen as synonyms of one another? What’s the fundamental difference between chesed and rachmanut? His answer is that chesed and rachmanut are two fundamentally different expressions of kindness. Rachmanut is really pity: it’s a reaction to something we see. A crisis develops and we respond to help. Perhaps we see someone outside a supermarket asking for money or food and we give them some. A friend of ours falls on hard times and so we give them some assistance. Rachmanut, as R. Goldvicht insists, is very important. But it’s very different to chesed, a sustained, consistent act of charity done with intent in advance and anticipation of a situation occurring. Chesed is not giving money or food to the odd asker but the realization that hunger and homelessness are problems and thus giving a recurring donation to a soup kitchen or shelter. Chesed isn’t giving assistance to some- one when they fall on hard times but the creation and sustaining of a resource to help people who struggle. In other words, we act with rachmanut when the mood strikes us, when we feel a need to help; but chesed is performed no matter our mood, no matter how much else is going on. Rachmanut is opt-in, chesed never gives us a day off. Rachmanut is reactive; chesed is proactive.

II.

This distinction, says R. Goldvicht, is learned from the very way God took us out of Egypt, in the Spring. As Rashi notes (Ex. 13:4), ְרא ּו דֶסֶח ׁ ֶש ְּג ַמ ְל ֶכם , איִצֹוהֶ ׁש םֶכְתֶא ׁשֶדֹחְ ּב ׁ ֶשה ּוא ׁשָכ רֵ תאֵצָל , אֹל ַח ָּמה אֹלְו ִצ ָּנה אֹלְו ְּג ׁ ָש ִמים,

See the kindness God bestowed, that He took you out in a month that’s pleasant: it’s neither too hot nor too cold, nor is their rain.

God could have taken the people out in the depths of winter or height of summer – and, afer 210 years of slavery, it would’ve been appreciated – but that would only have been an example of rach- manut, pity. In contrast, taking us out in spring revealed chesed: God realized in advance the best time to take the people out and thus acted accordingly.

III.

Yesterday, I spoke about the centrality of chesed to our Seder. By reversing the order of the meal and Maggid, the Haggadah helps us realize that those in need have the same dignity as us. But, as much as I said yesterday that the Haggadah prevents our act of chesed from being an act of pity, inviting people at the Seder is still more likely to be an act of rachmanut – a once a year act of kindness done with the realization that others need a Seder. But our Seder must inspire us to transform our rachmanut into chesed. It’s not enough to invite people just once a year – it must be a recurring commitment. As Rambam famously declares in a halakhah I have quoted before (Hilkhot Shevitat Yom Tov 6:18), the obligation to open our homes to all exists on all yamim tovim. And so, I want to end by encouraging you all to make sure that you don’t just engage in acts of rachmanut but also acts of chesed. Think about the ways that you can make a sustained, recurring, consistent contribution to those in need, rather than only reacting when necessary. We celebrate Pesach in the spring because that is when God took us out. But it also teaches us how we should act in the world – not just with rachmanut, pity, but also with chesed, consistent kindness.